An English law, about 500 years old, has been invoked by the Chicago Corporation Counsel in a legal battle to uphold the right of the city to isolate Mrs, Jennie Barramore, declared by the Department of Health to be a typhoid carrier, The precedent is contained in an ancient act, known as the writ de leprose amovendo, and incorporate ed in the common law of England. It pertains to the detention of lepers or lazars.
About six months ago the proprietoress of a Broading House was arrested on orders from the Health Department on the ground that, as a typhoid carrier, she was endangering the health of the community. although not a victim of the: dis ease herself.
The 300-year-old writ upholds the right of the authorities to i a person suffering from contagious disease in these words:
"The writ de leprose amovendo beth, where a man is a lazar or a leper and is dwelling in any town, and he will come into the church, or amongst his neighbours where they are assembled, to talk with them, to their annoyance and disturbance; then he or they may sue forth that writ for to remove him from their company."
Judge Sabat's decision on the application of this ancient writ to the Chicago case is awaited, with interest,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.